Fill in the blank.

Next week, Christopher and I are headed to the ARC conference. It is a conference for church planters, and I could not be more excited! It will also be Christopher's first experience on an airplane! So i thought it would be appropriate to share a little fill in the blank about travelling!

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is ...the Czech Republic. Prague is just beautiful!



2. Italy is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by muisic + books.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are a customized traveling playlist, a Nicolas Sparks novel, + FRIENDS!

5. My favorite travel companion is the hubs! I love sharing new places and experiences with him!

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is Bolivia missions trip... On take off, some birds were swallowed up by the engine. We ended up stuck in Bolivia an extra day, taking a Bolivian airline home the following day. Only this plane was small, so we had stopped for fuel in Peru and Panama. This led us to miss our connecting flights in Miami. Our group made up of 60(+) high school students were split up in to groups of 10 or so. My group had to fly to Chicago AND THEN Dulles. Within 24 hours I had been in Bolivia, Peru, Panama, Miami, Chicago, and DC. whewww!

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is anything I ate in India. I'm not really sure of some of the things I ate...


8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in Charleston, SC for its southern charm!


9. I have been to 19
states in the U.S.

Who can be against us?

Originally, I had planned on this post being one of those amazing, encouraging posts, filled with all of my profound revelations I came to during the 21 days of fasting. Instead, I'm finding myself in need of some encouragement and profound revelations.

Yesterday was cra-cra.

I'll separate this story into thirds.

1/3-panic.
My mom woke me up around 9:30 with a phone call. "I think I just broke my foot," was all she said then made noises filled with painful gasps. And I panicked. All I knew was that I needed to throw on real clothes because I would most likely spend the morning in the ER. I raced over to my parents house to find my mom with a throbbing foot, laying on the couch. She had dropped a weight on it while working out. We hobbled to the car, and I spent the morning at good ole Fauquier Hospital. After about an hour and a half we found out it wasn't broken. Thank goodness!

2/3-hair cut.
This was a very pleasant part of my day. My hair is looking fresh and healthy. woo! If you need a hairstylist, you need Carissa. (And if you say that I recommended you, you get 10$ off and I'll get a free cut!)


3/3-more panic.
For the past week Chris and I have been house-sitting. My grandparents went on a cruise to the Bahamas, so we got to hang out at their house with Felix their cat. :) After the haircut, I came to their house to find that they had gotten back, so I packed up my stuff, and headed back home. I spent the next few hours cleaning, doing laundry, and unpacking. I then decided to get some work done, so I finally made my way into the living room. Something was weird. Finally I realized the TV console had been pushed out on one side. When I walked up to the TV I realized the playstation was gone. Hmm. I called Christopher to confirm that he hadn't touched anything. And then I panicked for the second time. Again I found myself bolting to my car and racing to my parents house.

When Christopher and the cops arrived I came back to the house to realize that not only was the playstation gone, but so was my laptop, the PA system that came with Chris's drum set, and my Cannon XTi. boo.

Later our friends Stephanie and Kenny came over with some guns and some tips on how to scare away anyone else who dared break in. Even with a shotgun within arms reach, it was hard to fall asleep, and we ended up spending the night back at my parents. (Thanks Hopie for your bed!)

I'm so thankful we weren't home when all this happened. That we were safe at my grandparents with the attack kitty, Felix.

But it's interesting, I know I'm not the only one who had an interesting Monday. There were people in our church going through emergency surgeries and things of the like. Oh how the enemy likes to attack us when we think we are so strong. Right after we've fasted and sought after the Lord. He knows our weaknesses and how to make us feel trapped.

Romans 8:26-31
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?



On another, totally unrelated note. I am so happy to have this back in my life.

The Mid-Fast Blog Update.

Its funny how when you ask God to do something, show you something, or for something; he always seems to answer.

Now, its most always not the way you expect or have planed out in your head. Actually its probably the opposite of what you expect.

This week Christopher's boss cut his hours. He went from a full time, salary paid manager to a part time, hourly manager. stinky. The upside is that I have a whole extra day to sleep in and snuggle with my babes. The downside is we pretty much only have enough money to pay our bills and eat macaroni and cheese. Now, I'm usually okay with mac n cheese, but this Daniel fast has got me eating pretty much nothing...

Anyway. While when I heard the news I first felt that panicky, butterfly-in-your-stomach-y, nauseous feeling, I then just began praying. And the phrase that I kept hearing in my heart was simple.

The Lord is my Portion.

He is all that I need. I have always known this, but today, it brings me to tears. My confidence is in the Lord.

Matthew 6:30

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

I am assured, and I expectant that Jesus will fill my needs.


So keep reading folks, cause God is bound to do something soon. :)
And its gonna be awesome.

What's next?

So lately, and by lately I mean post-graduation, my life's purpose has seemed to be muddied. The day to day has a way of distracting me from the big picture. This being said, I know that God has a plan for my life, that it's unique, and that it's awesome. I just have no idea what that will look like.

While both Christopher and I's jobs are knowingly temporary, we have come to a kind of crossroads. Neither of us know what the next chapter of our lives will look like, or even what we should be pursuing. It's times like these when it's clear how much we need Jesus to trust in and rely upon! Who needs to worry when He already knows the future! We are just along for the ride. :)

So starting Sunday we are participating in 21 days of fasting with our church, The Sound. I've decided to do the Daniel fast, which is basically just fruit and veggies. Chris and I have decided to make this one of our prayer focuses during the fast- for God to be preparing us for our future and give us a dream for the future.

My dad often says that sometimes we are just too full to ever feel hungry. I am so ready to feel that hunger after the Lord and to spend time focusing on how to glorify Him with my life and my marriage.

Stay tuned!

Thursdays are the best.

Let me tell you why.

It's Chris and I's day off.
We sleep in.
Have coffee together.
Sometimes at starbucks.
Sometimes it's red truck.
Sometimes its the good ole cheap kind from my kitchen.

And we generally don't to anything productive for the rest of the day.

It's glorious.

Rainy days.

I forgot to mention one last thing that I am thankful for...

-a tin roof.

Its been a very rainy day today. Its officially 3:30 and I'm still on the couch, in my PJs, and havent even thought about lunch. [online christmas shopping has a way of doing this to my day] But in a few minutes I'll have to drag myself off of the couch, spend 40 minutes in grueling pain [chris and I have started doing insanity], shower, and then make my way to the Echo [youth group].

If you have never listened to the rain on a tin roof, you are really missing out. So I just wanted to amend that thank-you-list, and acknowledge the wonderful music of the rain that I have been enchanted with all day. Thank you, tin roof.

There's Thanks, and There's Giving.

I know this is super cliche, but since it is the holiday season, I thought I would just take a second and jot a little list of my thank-you-for's (in no particular order). Its always good to remind myself how much God has blessed me with before I start thinking about the "what I want for Christmas-list"

-My husband. (tehe, still so new to hear that word) This new season of life with him has just been pure fun. I just love the company he brings- from tickle fights even to the more serious moments, he makes life so much more FUN!

-Our home! We seriously found it just in the nick-of-time. It may not have a dishwasher, and my hands may be a little more dry than usual, but its perfect. AND it has a wood stove. This little treasure is amazing. Christopher says in his manly voice, "Babe, I'm gonna make a fire!" And for a few moments, he feels all manly and I get to stay warm!

-My job. I am so spoiled. I get to work from home, usually in my pj's & nestled on the couch. I could not ask for a better set up.

-The music channels on TV. I know I'm probably the ONLY one in the universe who uses them. But it makes me feel a little more productive if I'm not actually watching TV all day while I work.

-Redbox. Seriously. The Campbell family weekday entertainment. Except that Christopher and I can never remember to bring them back. We are now stuck with The Last Song, and other more manly movies that I fell asleep during. Bummer.

-My two baby sisters. aka, the best friends in the entire universe. :) I love it when Hopie comes home from college, and we all get together. The days usually play out like so: we hug and snuggle and love on each other, get seriously annoyed that someone just messed up our hair or tickled us or something, start making fun of each other, and then the rest of the day we spend laughing at how silly it was to get so annoyed in the first place. I love them.

-I am thankful for pintrest, and online shopping to occupy my time when work gets slow.

-My mom and dad. Most people, when the first get married, want to move far far away from the rents, start their own life, and be independent. Lucky for me, I am 0.8 miles down the road from mom & dad....annnnddd grandma & grandpa. But in all honesty, its wonderful. For starters, it made the physical moving out a little easier, and it also made the mental move a little easier too. And hey, when my car breaks down, they are always accommodating....as long as I'm willing to give Faith a ride somewhere. ;) Also- when I'm cooking and realize, gee, I don't own a muffin pan... I always know mom has like 5 (not exaggerating), and she's always willing to help.

-Being able to contribute to Thanksgiving dinner this year. It may seem small, but it was so exciting to me to have my own dish sitting there on the table.... Call me crazy, but I loved it.

-And finally, Christmas music, and lights, and decorations, and your toes being so cold you can't feel em, but your hand are warm cause you are holding hot chocolate. I love it all. This is the best season ever.

Happy December folks. And Merry Christmas!!

Apple Coffee Cake

I am really loving getting into my wife-y role.

OK, mostly.

I'll be the first to admit that being tidy does not come naturally to me. However, learning the secrets to a yummy kitchen has been fun! :) Working from home sometimes has me glued to the computer, but it has also given me some extra time to explore and fine tune my cooking and baking skills.

Today I am currently making an Apple Coffee Cake that I found on, of course, pintrest. If you don't have a pintrest, you NEED one. Okay, need is an overstatement. But I don't know anyone who has gotten one that hasn't been obsessed. Seriously, so much "pinspiration." heh. I'm so clever....

Anyway, THE CAKE! My house smells scrumptious right now so I suppose I'll share this amazing recipe with y'all, and in 30 min, I'll tell you how it tastes.


(photo cred http://thefauxmartha.com)

Apple Coffee Cake
recipe adapted from Martha Stewart; makes one 9-inch tube cake

APPLE FILLING
1 1/2 Granny Smith apples
2 McIntosh apples
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of sea salt
dash of nutmeg
dash of cloves
dash of ginger

CAKE
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 c. all-purpose flour* (I used 1 c. all-purpose, 1 c. whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream

STREUSEL
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of sea salt

GLAZE
1 c. confectioners sugar
2 tbsp. milk

1. APPLE FILLING: Peel, core, and dice apples. Add the rest of ingredients. Stir and set aside.
2. CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9-inch tube pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Spoon about half the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the apples in a single layer on top of the batter; avoid placing any apples against the pan’s edge, as they may stick or burn if not fully encased in batter. (You may not use all the apples.) Top with the remaining batter, making sure it is evenly distributed, and smooth with an offset spatula.
5. STREUSEL: Place ingredients in a small bowl. Cut butter into the mixture until evenly moistened. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the batter.
6. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before handling. Loosen the cake from the pan using an offset spatula or knife. Using two spatulas to lift the cake, transfer to cake platter.
7. GLAZE: Stir together confectioners sugar and milk until smooth. Spoon glaze over the cake, letting it drip down sides. Let cake sit until glaze is set, about 5 minutes, before serving. Cake can be kept at room temperature, covered, for up to 4 days.




My results...

OH EM GEE. get off your computer right now and make this yummy cake!

Autumn

So, after taking the summer off from blogging. I thought I'd update ya'll on what I've been up to.

This is truly a season of change in my life. In the past 6 months I have:

Graduated.
Moved home.
Started a big-girl job.
Moved out. (around the block)
Gotten married. (!!!!)

Phew.

All I know is that the changing of the leaves is so representative of the stage of life I'm in.

I knew that this fall would look completely different than anything I had ever been used to. And I love it!
I will be the first one to admit that I am completely spoiled rotton. (:
My job is flexible and fun, I have the most wonderful husband in the universe, we have been blessed with the most perfect cozy little house, and we are surrounded by friends and family. Life is just awesome. And I can't stop thinking about the Lord's goodness.

So here are a few photos from my favorite day this summer, August 14. Taken by Ali Williamson. She is one awesome photographer. Check her out.

The Last

April and May have been filled with nothing but "lasts." Everything is the "LAST TIME..." The last time I'll skip class. The last time I'll complain about the PINK house falling apart. The last time I'll see most of the people that have made JMU so special to me. My last time studying at Greenberry's (which is what I'm supposed to be doing right now).

While having my whole life seemingly ahead of me and having endless possibilities is something to be really really excited about, I can't help but feel a twinging sense of sadness in the pit of my stomach.

I keep asking myself if I have any regrets about the past four years. Did I take advantage of all of JMU and Harrisonburg? Did I get coffee with all the people I said I was going to? Did I cross off all of my bucket list items? Did I make time for friends?

There are some people I don't think I could ever make enough time for. I think that is what makes me the most sad. I could never spend enough time with my housemates, my small group, or the people I've lived with in the past.

Life is about to look a lot different. All I can do is be thankful for those people I could never get enough of and know that I'll see them in August!

My First Wedding Nightmare.

So I've been told by a few friends that the closer the big day is, the more frightening dreams seem to pop up. Dreams like, the wedding being in your room instead of at the church, the groom showing up in pjs, and other horrid disasters.

Recently I experienced my very first wedding nightmare. With 130 Days, 1 Hour, 37 Minutes, and approximately 9 Seconds, no wait 4... uh 1.... Who's counting anyway...
I had my very own disaster dream.

It went something like this.

I was at Fosters with Chris (my real life fiance), my mom, and another man who was my dream fiance. He was old. I mean like really old. Like has teenagers of his own-old. Okay, maybe he wasn't like grandpa-old, but he was certainly much older than me.

I couldn't figure out why I was engaged to him though. Everyone kept congratulating us and said cute things like, "you two are peeeerrrfecttt!" But something in my gut was just so horrified. I kept looking at Chris wanting to scream, "But I love HIM!" However, I was too afraid of being dramatic. So I sat, in panic, trying to figure out how to break the news to my mom that I wanted to marry Chris instead.

When old guy-dream fiance got up to use the bathroom, (apparently my mom disappeared at this point too), I looked at Chris and finally sobbed, "This is just not right! I can't do this!!!" Quietly he held me and said, "I know baby, I'll take care of it. Don't worry!"

I was so relieved.

I'm not much for dream interpretation. But I just know, if this was real, he really would take care of everything, just because that's the kind of man he is. It is such a blessing and encouragement to have him in my life. God is just too good!

Encouragement from my Teenage-Self

So instead of studying for my Spanish test tomorrow, (awesome) I decided to read over old journals from middle and high school. I read over an entry I had wrote after I had an experience with God. I was in Ecuador and it was the summer before my senior year. My friends and I got to talking one night about our lives, and suddenly the Lord met us. We all burst into tears and just worshiped him until about 4am. It was incredible. And this is what I wrote...

"I asked to be broken.
I broke.
I asked to be filled.
You filled me.
I was lost.
You found me.
My heart was hard, you made it soft.
I asked for you, and I found you.
I was dry and you opened the floodgates.

How can I express my gratitude? There are no human words to give you, so I will give you my heart and my life. Forever you are faithful. There is no reason to doubt. There is no reason to worry. If you seek his face, you will find it. If you ask, it will be given."

Be encouraged people, the Lord is faithful:)

Day 22

There is really nothing quite like day 22 of a 21 day fast...

Breakfast consisted of a glorious Egg McMuffin, and lunch was a cheeseburger, greasy fries, and a chocolate milkshake. The milkshake I actually was having dreams about.

Glorious.

So for 21 days I've been fasting with the sound. I did the Daniel fast, and for those of you who aren't familiar, there is no meat, dairy, or any non-whole wheat grains. Quite do-able, yet so hard...

I realized something, well, a lot of somethings. The most important though is that I am not really all that good. I mean I try to be good. Yet, even when I think I'm being good, I'm not. And, anything that is good in me, is from God. I realized this during week one when I ate a piece of red velvet cupcake at work. whoops.

[John 15:5-6 Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.]

Truly, I am nothing without Christ. I can't even follow a special diet for three weeks. Sometimes I can get so caught up in "trying to be good." I go to church every Sunday, I do my homework (usually), and I try so hard to "be better." But the truth is, without Christ, everything I try, fails!

Good news is, Christ is living in me! :) woohoo! I don't have to "try" to make myself better, He wants to do it for me. I just have to surrender myself to him, and He does all that hard work. Eventually, when I abide in Him, He is the natural overflow of my life.

Why don't I just do that ALL the time? Seriously, there is rest and peace in Christ. "Trying" is exhausting. I give up trying my hardest all the time.

So here's to resting in all the Lord has provided for me this weekend...chocolate milkshakes, steak, and venti skim lattes.

surprise

God is so good.

These verses have been ringing in my head the past few days.

Matthew 7:7-11

"Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.

Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?

If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!"

About a week ago, after engagement butterflies started settling and the wedding budget started looming over my head, I found myself discouraged and upset. I felt selfish for feeling this way. I almost didn't want to admit it. Especially to a God who hates selfishness. But I did anyway. Slowly and shyly, I confessed to him my fear of being disappointed, my fear of not being able to afford my dreams.

I then began to think of all of God's provision. When have I ever been disappointed? When have I ever been lacking? God has provided a way for all of my dreams, even when I think they are selfish dreams.

Last summer, I decided in April to go to India in May. With absolutely zero money, I prayed for the generosity of others. The day before the money was due, God had provided every penny... and more!

Two years ago, I felt hopeless and heartbroken. What I thought was God's will turned out to be my own. Disappointed does not even begin to describe how I felt. A month later, Christopher walked into my life. God gave me my dreams... and MORE!

To be honest, I could not think of any time in my life where the Lord did not surpass my expectations.

So in faith, I prayed. Specifically, I prayed that I could pick up more shifts at work, for the Lord's blessing with my parent's work, that people would be struck with generosity, and that within my dad's vast network of people he knows there would be people who could provide certain services.

Whaddoyaknow. Not kidding, DAYS later, I found a pretty dress [WITHIN BUDGET!!!], I found a photographer [WITHIN BUDGET!!!!! I didn't think this would happen...], I found a venue [WITHIN BUDGET!!!! and it's more than I ever dreamed], I had people offer me things I haven't even thought of, like calligraphy....as a gift! I was able to pick up an extra shift, and so was my mom [this is truly a miracle].

This is just the beginning people.


Jesus wants to exceed our expectations. The doors will open when we KEEP ON knocking. Feeling hopeless is not an option. How great is his love for us! I am so in awe of how he moves. I seriously can't believe it.

oh how I love his surprises.

winter

Normally, winter break is my time to be lazy, watch mindless tv shows, and sleep.

But this break is different. Cause I got ENGAGED!


www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx4QDu80X9g

So instead, I've been visiting pretty ranches, cutting out flowers from magazines, and trying on white fluffy dresses. :)

no words needed

The heat of the summer

Kind of weird to realize this is my last real summer until real adulthood. My last summer of being blissfully irresponsible and spontaneously reckless. On one hand, I cannot wait to be completely independent, yet that panging sense of responsibility seems daunting, scary, and strangely foreign. To my relief, Christopher, my other half, has got this issue in the bag. Money-wise, I have never seen anyone so competent and aware of the dollar signs. I'm beginning to recognize and learn that Starbucks coffee should be seen as a treat, not a place where your order and name are proudly known by all of the baristas. (heeh...whoops) Not only is money an issue that I can't seem to wrap my head around, I have zero idea what I am going to do after I graduate. I know that my purpose in life is not to sit on a swing all day like I thought it was when I was five. I know Christ has called me to be a worker for his kingdom. I know He's called me to be used as a vessel to meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of my community, whatever that community looks like. But what DOES that look like... ???

I know God will open the right doors and lock the wrong ones. Trusting him completely and unabashedly? That is something I am going to find myself praying over and over again.

Daniel and Rachel (:

The beautiful couple...They are SO cute. I cannot wait for their wedding day!

pillow talk

:)

I love pillow talk. You can have your coffee dates and your Skype chats, but there is nothing like staying up until four a.m. giggling, gossiping, and talking about how many bridesmaids you want to have when you get married. Christopher and I drove to Virginia Beach last weekend to visit my sophomore year roommate, Rachel, and her fiancée (:D :D :D :D :D :D!!!!) Daniel. So of course there was pillow talk, but this time there was a lot more giggling involved. We spent the day at the beach (awesome) and the evening taking their engagement photos. Which turned out beautiful, and in a few days I'll post some!

The weekend was a blast. friendship is a quite beautiful thing. lives are altered slightly with each encounter. and for me, its usually for the good. i have beautiful friends. strong friends. encouraging friends. i love them all.

Balloon.

Education by Modest Mouse (2), originally uploaded by occhichiusi.

sometimes i just want to float away...